as they are those of other area sof life

[Maybo]

They are as willing to break the barriers of family constraints as they are those of other areas of life. (Your Personal Horoscope 2017 by Joseph Polansky)

Can I change the above sentence like these:

1. ...... constraints as they are of other areas of life.
2. ...... constraints as they are other areas of life.
2. ...... constraints as other areas of life.

 

[GoesStation]

No, no, and no.

"Those" replaces the barriers. The sentence is a shorter version of They are as willing to break the barriers of family constraints as they are [to break] the barriers of other areas of life.

 

[Maybo]

No, no, and no.

"Those" replaces the barriers. The sentence is a shorter version of They are as willing to break the barriers of family constraints as they are [to break] the barriers of other areas of life.

How do I decide which phrases can be omitted in that part(as they... life)? Do we only keep subject and object?

So can I keep "to break" like this:

......constraints as they are to break those of other areas of life.

 

[GoesStation]

How do I decide which phrases can be omitted in that part(as they... life)? Do we only keep subject and object?

So can I keep "to break" like this:

"… constraints as they are to break those of other areas of life."

Yes to the second question. I can't think of a way to answer the first. (Did you notice that I let "the first" stand in for "the first question"?)

 

[Maybo]

(Did you notice that I let "the first" stand in for "the first question"?)

Yes. Is it related to my first question?

 

[GoesStation]

Yes. Is it related to my first question?

A little. It's a different example of a case where you can omit a word.

 

[Maybo]

A little. It's a different example of a case where you can omit a word.

Right, but I'm thinking that we can omit "willing to break", while "those of" refers to "barriers of", but we can't omit "those of".

 

[GoesStation]

Right, but I'm thinking that we can omit "willing to break", while "those of" refers to "barriers of", but we can't omit "those of".

Please write the sentences you're thinking of and post them.

 

[Maybo]

Please write the sentences you're thinking of and post them.

They are as willing to break the barriers of family constraints as they are those of other areas of life.

 

[GoesStation]

They are as willing to break the barriers of family constraints as they are those of other areas of life.

That's correct. Well done!

 

[Maybo]

That's correct. Well done!

That's the sentence I quoted from post #1:-o.

 

[jutfrank]

I'd expand the sentence slightly more than GoesStation has in post #2:

They are as willing to break the barriers of family constraints as they are [willing to break] the barriers of other areas of life.

How do I decide which phrases can be omitted in that part(as they... life)? Do we only keep subject and object?

I don't think you should try to decide anything.

This particular kind of ellipsis is what I think is called gapping. Unfortunately, you've chosen a very complicated and difficult example to study. My advice would be to look up different kinds of elliptical constructions in a good book and deal with some simpler examples first.

So can I keep "to break" like this:......constraints as they are to break those of other areas of life.

Yes. You can keep either just to break or willing to break or elide willing to break.